NOVEMBER 5, 1903 | 
NATURE 16 
A NEW NATURAL HISTORY.! 
iE our notice of the earlier portion we stated that it 
was then impossible to arrive at a definite con- 
clusion as to the merits of this work, since the section 
in question was more or less introductory in its nature. 
Now that the author has got into the full swing of his 
Fic. 1.—Cocoa-nut Crab (Birgus latro). 
Animals.” 
subject, such a judgment is 
possible, and we have much 
pleasure in saying that our 
own verdict is in the main 
one of decided approbation. 
The author has had prac- 
tically a new field before 
him, so far, at least, as 
English natural histories 
are concerned, in the mode 
of treatment of his subject, 
and the work ought to 
prove invaluable to all 
teachers of ‘‘nature-study.”’ 
The  illustrations—bo th 
coloured plates and _ text- 
figures—are in many cases 
excellent, some of them de- 
picting the animals in atti- 
tudes or actions connected 
with the subject of the text. 
Examples of this type of 
illustration are afforded by 
the figure of a secretary- 
bird beating down a snake 
with its wings and beak, 
and that of a chameleon 
darting its tongue at a fly. 
In the first of the two 
half-volumes before us, the 
author commences by treat- 
ing of the food of animals 
and the structural modifications of the animals 
themselves in correlation therewith, a subject which 
1 ‘* The Natural History of Animals.” Half vols. iii, and iv. By J. R. A. 
Davis. (London: Gresham Publishing Co., 1903.) 
NO. 1775, VOL. 69] 
From Davi-’s ‘‘ Natural History ot 
Fic. 2.—Gila Monster, or Arizona Poisonous Lizard (Heloderma suspectumt). 
of Animals.” 
occupies the whole of one of the fasciculi and part of 
the other. This part of the subject is divided into three 
sections, according as to whether the diet is of an 
animal, vegetable, or mixed nature, each main group 
being taken in serial order in the several sections, 
commencing with mammals and finishing with zoo- 
phytes and sponges. Animal defences forms the 
title of the next main division of the subject. 
Here protective coloration and colour changes, 
mimicry, and the reason why so many animals 
are nocturnal, are discussed at length, and in the 
main satisfactorily, although all the latest observ- 
ations on the former part of the subject are not 
mentioned. Passive defence, as exemplified by 
dermal armour, shells, the rolling-up habit, and 
the death-feigning instinct, and then active de- 
fence receive an turn their due share of attention, 
the second half-volume ending with an excellent 
dissertation on the various forms of animal 
respiration. 
Unfortunately, the general excellence of the 
book is somewhat marred by certain blemishes. 
Confining our criticisms to a single group of 
animals, we have in the dental formula of the 
cat on p. 7 the number of pairs of incisors given 
as two instead of three. Nor can this error be 
attributed to the printer, for, although the total 
number of teeth in the animal is rightly given 
as thirty, the incisors are referred to in the text 
(as well as in the formula) as being eight, in 
place of twelve, in number. Moral, in proof- 
reading always add up your dental formula. 
Again, in the explanation of the figure of the 
dentition of the thylacine on p. 16, it “would have 
avoided liability to error if the number of upper 
incisors had been alluded to as four pairs instead 
of four. Perhaps it is a venial error to per- 
From Davis's ‘‘ Natural History 
perpetuate (p. 9) the old idea that the coloration of 
the tiger is designed solely to harmonise with an 
Indian grass-jungle, but it shows a decided want of 
acquaintance with modern zoological work to allude 
